Wall Writers

WOW! Something we have all seen. And here is a look, an explanation, a description, maybe just a peek into it's origins. The documentary doesn't give a complete history on graffiti but rather a look into how the phenomena started in Manhattan and gained popularity in a poor overlooked youth subculture and how it spread from one area to another. (Not the best description) Starting in the late 1960's this art expression labeled 'Graffiti' was viewed with disdain by the general public until an artist brought it to the forefront for his own glory. When the public responded favorably this artist paid a personal price. This docu explains the many aspects with the growth and acceptance and refinement in Wall Writers. Surely a must see for anyone who appreciates how this form of personal expression found it's place in the art world.

If your expectations are to see beautiful murals, like we see them everywhere nowadays, you will be a bit disappointed because this documentary is about what happened before this new artform, it's about what lead to the urban art we're now used to. It's a good documentary though, interesting to see and to meet the first ones that started tagging their names everywhere they could. I wouldn't say it's beautiful, on the contrary, it's more vandalizing properties. I can't blame anyone, i was young once myself and I did that kind of stuff as well. It's not something I'm proud of, it was just some stupid adolescent rebel stuff. I have a great admiration for the Grafitti artists nowadays though, it's something else than tagging everything you see. Anyway, Wall Writers is well made, with some great interviews and different points of view. It's the beginning of gang culture, marking your streets or hoods, but it's not really art in my humble opinion. It's a good documentary to see the early beginnings, to watch the evolution of street art, to understand why kids started this trend.